Paws

A genre like horror is incredibly broad, filled to the brim with different sub-genres meant to disturb and delight audiences. But perhaps one of the most successful parts of a horror franchise that makes viewers shudder is the aspect of gore. Gore in horror movies can look so real that viewers recoil in disgust away from the screen. Some can’t take their eyes off the screen while their brains are in shock, trying to react.  This pure adrenaline rush is what makes great horror flicks even greater.

 When “Terrifier 2” came out in the theaters, some viewers passed out and vomited during its brutal killing scenes. Disgusted with the gore, many even walked out of the theater. That’s saying something since going to a movie theater can be expensive nowadays, thanks to inflation. The average movie ticket cost is about $11, which does not include snacks. If people were willing to walk out, keeping those prices in mind, it was because they were terrified.

Now consider the “Saw” franchise-  a great example of this phenomenon.  “Saw 3” was the goriest in the franchise, and people, again, walked out of the theater due to the graphic killing scenes. A more obscure film called “Raw” was released in 2016, which shows realistic depictions of cannibalism that caused some people at the Toronto International Film Festival to faint from the content that was shown to the viewers.

Seeing gory content causes a primal fear reaction in audiences to be switched on. That adrenaline rush and the overwhelming fear that clouds a person’s mind truly encompasses the goal of horror as a genre, to scare you.  This genre of horror is the true definition of being absolutely terrifying. 

Claws

What’s scarier? A head getting chopped off, or the psychological torment a person can go through until they no longer recognize themselves.

Gore may be scary at the moment or difficult to watch at times. The real horror comes from the movies that psychologically affect a person and keep them thinking. 

There’s “Terrifier” for example, one of the goriest modern horror movies out there. There’s a line, however, where the gore isn’t scary. It’s excessive and gross. The movie tries to make you close your eyes or just watch what’s happening in shock. 

The concept of a clown killer may be scary, but the gore of the movie distracts from this. Focusing too much on this aspect in an attempt to scare viewers can eventually desensitize.

Any movie can have gore. While, yes, some movies have a larger budget for special effects, not every movie is able to create something that psychologically spooks you.

“Smile” is a great example of a psychological horror movie. While the smiles you see aren’t exactly gory, they’re unsettling in an uncanny way. The gory deaths may add to the movie, but it’s not the focus.

The focus of the movie was the psychological torment a victim goes through until they can’t distinguish what’s real anymore. They can’t trust anyone or anything, with no way out. The confusion of not knowing if they’re ruining their own life or if something greater is at play. 

No matter what they do, the audience has this feeling of dread not knowing what should happen.

Gore is more about shocking the audience and giving a temporary scare while psychological scares tend to resonate with the audience more.